Dr. Michael Marino’s LASIK Blog

On September 15, 2006 Dr. Marino underwent LASIK surgery. The following is his personal weblog of the surgery and recovery process.

It has been one year…

October 03, 2007
I can’t believe that it has been over a year since I had my surgery. I am still seeing 20/10 to 20/15 in each eye. I have had only minimal dryness problems, but I think that is related to how dry it is outside than anything else. I use artificial tears 3–4 times per week in the morning, but that has only been for the last few weeks.

We have had some late night softball games, and I have noticed a little glare off of reflective road signs. I can still read them, but it only happens after I have been up for a long time.

I don’t have any complaints as of now. I did try the MaxSight lenses. The glare reduction was interesting, but it reminded me why I had LASIK in the first place—I can’t wear contact lenses. They became very dry after about an hour, and the distraction of that outweighed the benefits of the decrease in glare.

I haven’t had a chance to read the article in the News and Observer discussing the downside of LASIK. I hope to read it soon, and I will respond in this section of the website. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Six months post–op

March 28, 2007
I have been doing very well over the last few months. I almost don’t even think about it except for the fact that I have to talk about it daily to my patients. This will be my first softball season after having the procedure; so, we'll have to see how it affects my play—especially because I am moving from playing third base to the outfield.

The glare in my right eye is virtually gone. I have noticed, though, that when I have been up for a long time and/or I have been on the computer for a long time, I see haloes around lights. When I am better about using my artificial tear drops, I don’t see them at all.

I am going to try the Nike MaxSight contact lenses this season to see if that helps with glare. I wasn’t able to try them before because they are not made for people with astigmatism. I’ll let you know how they work out.

I’ll do another update after using the MaxSight CLs for a few games or at nine months post–op.

Three months post–op

January 09, 2007
Sorry, that this is a little late. Everything is getting much better. The rainbow glare in my right eye is gone. I simply stopped noticing it one day. I can definitely tell, though, if my eyes are dry from a long day or if I didn't sleep well the night before. My vision will get blurry at night. Fortunately, artificial tears clear it up.

I have no residual prescription at this point and my vision is between 20/10 and 20/15. I come up all zeroes on the autorefractor. My corneas are clear, and I couldn’t be happier with how everything has turned out. I have even stopped reaching for my glasses when my alarm goes off in the morning.

I’ll do another update after my six–month check.

We now have all the equipment we need to do full refractive surgery work–ups in Apex and Graham. Feel free to call with any questions or to set up a free consultation with me. You can also email me at drmarino@familyeyecaregroup.com.

One month post–op

October 19, 2006
My vision is still measuring about 20/15+ in each eye, but I notice the overall quality getting better. I am not having any problems with my left eye. I still have some rainbow glare in my right eye if I am looking at a point source of light like the glint of the sun off of a car, headlights, or streetlights. However, it is not annoying or bothersome when I drive. I just notice it.

I have to use tear drops 2–3 times per day because I have some dryness, but that is getting better as well. I have to use more when I am using the computer a lot, but I expected that.

I’ll update this when my glare disappears in my right eye or after my three–month post-op visit.

One week after

September 22, 2006
I had my first post–op visit this morning and my vision is 20/15+ in each eye. My vision is better in my left eye than my right, but I definitely do not have any complaints. My left eye is absolutely perfect. I am still using my steroid and antibiotic drops four times per day, but my need for artificial tears has stopped.

I still have some glare in my right eye but it is much better than it was at the beginning of the week. It feels like I have a contact lens in my eye; so, I am using artificial tears every few hours in that eye only.

When I wake up in the morning, my eyes are absolutely perfect, and I notice a small decrease in the quality of my vision as the day goes on, but it doesn't keep me from doing anything like driving at night or watch television.

I can’t believe how well I can see after just one week. I will do another small update after I stop my drops, but my next post-op isn't for another 3 weeks. Right now, though, I see better than I ever did with contact lenses and at least as good as I could with my glasses.

My first day back at work

September 18, 2006
Today went very well vision wise. I have no complaints with my vision at all. My main issue is I still have some glare which is worse in my right eye. I am getting some interesting prismatic effects with headlights in my right eye. The glare should go away within a week or so.

I have definitely found that my vision is better in the morning and the glare gets worse as the day goes on. I will be using my steroid and antibiotic drops four times per day for two weeks, but I need to use artificial tears four to six times per day to keep things clear and to reduce the glare.

I’ll give another update after my one–week post–op on Friday.

My initial experience with LASIK

September 17, 2006
I had LASIK on September 15, 2006. It was done at TLC–Greensboro by Karl Stonecipher, MD. I had been wanting to have it done for a few years, but the timing just wasn't right. I had scheduled it a few weeks ago, and the time was crawling by until it came time for it. I want to use this blog to better educate those who may want to have it done and need more information. I plan on giving updates as I notice changes; so, there will be more updates at first and less after the first month or so.

The procedure itself was rather quick. Dr. Stonecipher only uses the Intralase technique to create the flap. This part of the procedure was pretty uncomfortable. He has to put a lot of pressure on the eye to create good suction to create the flap. The pressure lasts about 20 seconds per eye. Thankfully, the assistant counts off the time until it is over. It is a little disconcerting because your vision goes grey/black when under high pressure. In the grand scheme, though, it is quick. I was then walked to the treatment room. The actual LASIK treatment was quick and relatively comfortable. I was offered Xanax to calm me down, but I wasn't really nervous at all. For those who are very nervous, Valium is available as well.

My vision was pretty blurry immediately after the procedure, but began to clear within 10-15 minutes. I was very light sensitive, and my eyes burned when I opened them. I went home and took about a 2 hour nap. When I woke up, my eyes felt a little gritty, but I could see TV easily, and my drops definitely helped.

The following morning, I had my one day post-op. It was an interesting experience waking up and being able to see without any help. I have worn glasses since I was 5; so, I really don't remember ever being able to wake up and see across the room. At that visit, my vision was 20/20+ in the right eye and 20/15+ in the left eye. Everything had some glare around it, but I was able to drive safely. I had a headache for most of the day, and I had to take drops every hour; so, I just rested in the couch.

When I woke up this (Sunday) morning, my headache was gone, and I was shocked at how well I could see. My vision was crystal clear without any glare. I had no symptoms of dryness, either. The haze got worse as the day wore on, but it was much better than Saturday. The haze comes from some residual swelling which should get better over the next week.